It is conventional to use particles of bone obtained from bony sites during certain surgical procedures in order to fill post surgical bony defects elsewhere. For example, such procedures include, but are not limited to, dental implant surgery involving the mandible and maxilla and mastoid surgery such as the reconstruction of the posterior bony canal wall of the ear.
According to a prior art bone particle collecting device, a disposable cylindrical stainless steel screen having a longitudinal axis is mounted on the bottom wall of a cup shaped body. The longitudinal axis of the screen is disposed in vertical relationship with the bottom wall of the body and with an annular space formed around the cylindrical screen. A cover member has a cylindrical spindle depending downwardly from a top wall thereof centrally disposed relative to the side wall of the body. The spindle is arranged to fit within the opening at the top of the cylindrical screen. A tubular port fitting communicates with the interior of the screen by extending through a side wall of the spindle and the side wall of the cover member for attachment to a suitable tube. Another tubular port fitting communicates with the exterior of the screen by extending through the side wall of the cover member in communication with an annular space between the spindle member and the side wall of the cover member. The device is adapted to be attached to a suction line having an end adapted for placement at a surgical site being irrigated and with an opposite end attached to a suction source.
Although the device is effective in collecting bone particles in an amorphous mass, it is difficult to efficiently gather and handle the osseous material, particularly without wasting much of the material. Another limitation of the prior art device is that the device can only be sterilized by ethylene oxide. Additionally, the cylindrical screen ends of the prior art device are cut and easily fray thereby making reassembly at surgery a difficult task.